I generally don’t like sounding like some type of feel-good, self-help coaching resource, so please forgive the title. I don’t like giving people Peter Pan advice which sounds good and feels good but does nothing to help them personally. I would rather offend or challenge someone if the final outcome is going to help them in some way. I would rather be an ogre if by so doing, I can help someone to become stronger and enable them to protect themselves and live a happier life. I do have a good reason for the title of this article, however. ​

One of the problems I have with limited-duration self-defence courses is that they often manage to convey just enough information to participants to give them a false sense of security. Of course, many of the people who run these courses are genuinely trying to perform a civic duty and so it is not my aim to undermine their teaching in this article. There is definitely a need for effective self-defence training in our society. If nothing else, a self-defence course sheds light on the need for self-protection and by virtue of this, shows up the grave short-comings of our current systems of government for ensuring the safety of their citizens. ​

​Admitting that you love weapons these days seems to draw a lot of negativity from people in general. I say “These days” because even a few decades ago, most people accepted that weapons were a part of life. 50 years ago, most people (at least in the countries that I have lived) had access to firearms and it was not considered ‘abnormal’ to show an interest in their use. In fact, the further back in time you investigate, the more weapons seem to be an accepted part of everyday life.

Forgive the title, I am not going to give you 10 reasons for anything in this article. Think of the title more as a statement about ‘click-bait’ than anything else. There are a lot of self defence systems and self defence instructors out there and many are very vocal and very opinionated. One of the reasons for this is the anti-social environment of social media and online video sharing platforms. These platforms tend to encourage some people to be loud and obnoxious.

Why practice a traditional martial art instead of a sports-based martial art? This is a question which is asked from time to time. It is often asked by someone who has already made up their mind about what they would prefer to do. Which is fine, because the answer to the question is really that simple: Do what you want to do. If all you want to do is fight in competitions, don’t waste time practicing a traditional martial art.